Lotus Medical Review | Dope Directory

When I think about the need for a discreet atmostphere, I am reminded of a hilarious story my roommate shared with me recently. We were driving down Sixth Avenue in Denver, on our way to a movie at the Esquire Theater. If you know Sixth Avenue, you’re probably aware of the sheer number of massage parlors that happen to be along its jaunt through the center of the city. Of course, the usual jokes fell out of my ignorant mouth about the special services that must be offered at said parlors, when my roommate, quite deadpan, replied, “Oh, I used to work next door to one of those places.” Now, this is interesting. “Really? How could you tell?” I asked, and he proceeded to relay stories about men parking blocks away, constantly looking over their shoulders, and stealthily slipping into the massage parlor’s front door. I guess, being the unprofessional schmo that I am, I’ve never really had a need to be discreet (and I’m not at the point in my life where I need specialty massage parlors, either). It’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in the marijuana industry, and so the need for a discreet place to purchase marijuana has recently entered my criteria as a potentially important facet of the business. Now, mind you, I would not put cannabis use on the same level as going to a “special” massage parlor (obviously); however, there are plenty who would consider either equally evil. Business professionals need a place to shop for their cannabis, without the entire world seeing them do so. This is the theory behind Lotus Medical, a large medical dispensary in downtown Denver. With a professional and relaxed attitude, and an extremely discreet storefront, Lotus Medical is a fantastic option for medical patients downtown.

As is typical with any business in LoDo, parking for Lotus Medical varies anywhere between “bad” and “hellish nightmare.” Really, depending on day of the week and the time you are seeking to shop, you might be driving around for a while before you find anything. However, in order help patients out, Lotus does have to designated parking spots in the lot on the southwest side of the building. To get into the actual dispensary, you walk down through a magnificent courtyard, which was unfortunately lacking some of its magnificence due to my wintertime visit (in the summer, the courtyard is home to a large and majestic water fountain). The dispensary is one suite in a shared office building, but I’ll assume that you can read door signs to find the right spot. Straight through the outside doors, and then you’re buzzed into Lotus’ massive waiting room. It’s a large and calming space, with wood-paneled ceilings, and fantastic photos of flowers from all over the world covering its walls. True to its name, the dispensary has a distinctly East Asian aesthetic to it, with Buddhas and other meditating figures dotted throughout the room. Several comfortable couches surround their large, flat-screen TV; a perfect way to kill time before you’re called into the product room. I believe what is most striking about Lotus’ setup is that, unlike many dispensaries, I didn’t even smell cannabis until I was nose-deep in one of the jars in the product room. The serene entry space could have just as easily been a high-end spa, if not for the ornate pieces of glassware situated throughout the store.

After a brief once-over of my paperwork, Kenedy, one of the store’s managers, welcomed me warmly, and walked me back into the dispensary’s product room. This room, much like the larger entry way, has its cream walls decorated with tropical flowers, lily pads, and mellow jungle scenes. The clean all-glass counters are completely stocked with product, as well. While I was visiting Lotus Medical, I saw sixteen strains available, all of which were available for $38 for the eighth, or $35 for members. Now, mind you, it might not be the most affordable product in town, but these are some of the nicest cocoa-grown buds I’ve seen in the city of Denver. Kenedy was excited to show me some of his favorites. At the top of the list was the Tangerine Dream. Now, I’m a big fan of any of the orange-smelling-and-tasting buds, but these were some of the densest nuggets of ganja I’ve ever seen. Kenedy described it best: “If you put one of these nugs into a wrist rocket, it would kill you.” Similarly, the Jack Flash, that tasty descendant of the legendary Jack Herer, sported some extremely dense and delicious looking flowers. It also appeared as though the buds were dipped in a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and glitter, which is not really something I’ve ever seen before on a bud. You want jar appeal buddy? These guys have that.

As far as concentrates are concerned, the dispensary had a few selections of wax from Colorado Concentrates, but I was disappointed to see that they had run fresh out of their shatter. However, the dispensary does carry several different types of CO2 oil, both in syringe form from OrganaLabs, and preloaded into cartridges from O.pen and Colorado Concentrates. The dispensary also had an impressive showing of edibles, most notably from the hard-to-find company WeHi, which sports a deliciously potent 300mg chocolate bar about half the size of my palm. Lotus Medical also carried several of the staples: Edipure, InCredibles, Wana, Sweet Grass, and Bhang, just to name a few. There’s certainly no shortage of topicals or transdermals at the dispensary either. With full lines from both Apothacana and Mary’s Medicinals, if you’re looking for some spot treatment without getting the heady rush of THC from oral consumption, Lotus has you covered. Finally, I was delighted to walk through Lotus’ glass room, which stocked bongs, dab rigs, pipes, and dugouts available for purchase. While it was certainly not the most complete collection of glass I’ve ever seen, the dispensary certainly carries enough glass for you to find something you want or need.

Let’s face it: some people are looking for a place to shop for their cannabis that is both professional and comfortable, all while being discreet. Frankly, and with good reason, plenty of Coloradans out there don’t need the world (namely people in their world) knowing that they consume marijuana medically. It’s the same theory behind the little lines that you wait behind at the supermarket pharmacy. I don’t need to know what you’re buying, and you don’t need to know what I’m buying. Fortunately Lotus Medical has taken this belief in a safe and professional space, and translated it into a dispensary that offers high quality buds, in a soothing atmosphere, completely free of prying eyes.

If you get an opportunity to visit Lotus Medical in Denver, Colorado, let them know you heard of them through the Dope Directory, and please give them a rating.